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Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on October 14, 2023
Email: [email protected] / Phone: +44 7429 011000

The master draughtsman, Rembrandt van Rijn produced thousands of drawings during his distinguished career.

A Palette of Mediums: Red and Black Chalk, Inks, Pens, Brush, and Washes

This was an artist of experimentation, culminating in the use of all manner of media in this format. His favourites would include red or black chalk, inks with quill or reed pens, brush and also washes. Red chalks had been used continuously by Michelangelo and Da Vinci in the earlier days of the Renaissance.

Many of his sketches were study pieces for future paintings, others were heartfelt gifts. Besides those that remain attributed to Rembrandt, there will also be hundreds of other drawings which were gifted to friends and associates. Most of these will have been lost over time, as unsigned and undocumented.

Exploring Rembrandt's Sketch Gallery: Seated Old Man and More

The drawing captured in this page is Seated Old Man which bears similarities in many ways to Leonardo da Vinci's Self Portrait, which used red chalk itself. You will find a great mixture of sketches in this section, where around one hundred are listed.

Otto Benesch produced the finest study and catalogue of Rembrandt's drawings during the 1950s and counted an impressive combination of fifty different techniques and instruments used by the artist to construct this collection. Most studies before and after this have concentrated on his paintings and etchings.

This researcher attributed around 1,500 drawings in total to the Dutch master and is certainly the most comprehensive list compiled to date. The vast majority of these works are dated between the years of 1627 and 1662.

Rembrandt's Artistic Evolution: Preferences for Tools and Genres

The lack of drawn work after this is either due to loss or simply that he preferred not to return to the media after that point. Rembrandt had strong preferences for some tools over others when it came to different artistic genres. For example, black chalk was used for landscapes and portraits would be in red.

The Pen's Might: Pen and Ink Sketches with Quill or Reed Pens

Figurative drawings could come in either. The majority of his sketches would be done in pen and ink, either with quill or reed pens. Some items labelled by Benesch as black chalk have later been classified as charcoal works. One example is a group of lions from 1638 whom benefited from a slightly shiny finish due to the use of this medium.

Rembrandt would take frequent sketches as a way of expressing his mind on a daily basis. Many would be off-the-cuff, simple drawings just to pass a spare moment. In this respect he bears some similarity to Turner who would capture ideas in his notebooks. Another famous for his notebooks and musings was Paul Klee. Since the Renaissance draughtmanship remains significant. Perhaps the finest 20th century sketcher was the genius Picasso - find Picasso drawings here. Gustav Klimt was also famous for his portrait drawings.

Preserving Rembrandt's Artistic Legacy: Scholars and Researchers

On account of the hard-working scholars, exhibition hall keepers, and researchers, around 1,400 illustrations by Rembrandt have been saved and painstakingly indexed. This number goes up against galactic extents when we consider that today not a single picture can be credited with assurance to Frans Hals or Vermeer.

Presumably, Hals nor Vermeer was as productive a designer as Rembrandt-couple of specialists were - yet it is difficult to trust that Hals and Vermeer never made illustrations. The full scope of Rembrandt's realistic creation wander through the topics of representation and self-pictures; scenes of regular day to day existence; and religious subjects, chronicled, and Historical views.


Old Man Reading a Book Rembrandt
Old Man Reading a Book
Study of the legs of a seated woman Rembrandt
Study of the legs of a seated woman
The Raising of the Cross Rembrandt
The Raising of the Cross
Old Man with Outspread Arms Rembrandt
Old Man with Outspread Arms
Study for Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver Rembrandt
Study for Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver
Standing Beggar in Lost Profile Rembrandt
Standing Beggar in Lost Profile
Self-Portrait with Open Mouth Rembrandt
Self-Portrait with Open Mouth
St Paul in Meditation Rembrandt
St Paul in Meditation
Diana at the Bath Rembrandt
Diana at the Bath
Seated Old Man Rembrandt
Seated Old Man
The Entombment of Christ Rembrandt
The Entombment of Christ
Kneeling Man Rembrandt
Kneeling Man
Seated Old Man II Rembrandt
Seated Old Man II
Old Man Seated in an Armchair Rembrandt
Old Man Seated in an Armchair
Old Man with Clasped Hands, Seated in an Armchair Rembrandt
Old Man with Clasped Hands, Seated in an Armchair
Bust of a Bearded Old Man Rembrandt
Bust of a Bearded Old Man
Lying Naked Woman Rembrandt
Lying Naked Woman
Study for Drunk Lot Rembrandt
Study for Drunk Lot
Portrait of Saskia as a Bride Rembrandt
Portrait of Saskia as a Bride
Entrance of a Cottage Rembrandt
Entrance of a Cottage
Groups of Listeners Rembrandt
Groups of Listeners
Bearded Old Man with a Fur Cap Rembrandt
Bearded Old Man with a Fur Cap
Two Men in Discussion, a Third Listening to Them Rembrandt
Two Men in Discussion, a Third Listening to Them
Portrait of a Man in an Armchair, Seen Through a Frame Rembrandt
Portrait of a Man in an Armchair, Seen Through a Frame
Two Studies of John the Baptist Rembrandt
Two Studies of John the Baptist
The Last Supper, after Leonardo da Vinci Rembrandt
The Last Supper, after Leonardo da Vinci
The Baptism of the Eunuch Drawing Rembrandt
The Baptism of the Eunuch (Drawing)
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ Rembrandt
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ
The Naughty Child Rembrandt
The Naughty Child
The Abduction of Ganymede Drawing Rembrandt
The Abduction of Ganymede (Drawing)
Four Studies of Saskia Rembrandt
Four Studies of Saskia
Self Portrait Sketch Rembrandt
Self Portrait Sketch
Susannah and the Elders Rembrandt
Susannah and the Elders
Joseph Distributing Corn in Egypt, after Pieter Lastman Rembrandt
Joseph Distributing Corn in Egypt, after Pieter Lastman
An Elephant Rembrandt
An Elephant
Self Portrait Drawing Rembrandt
Self Portrait Drawing
Study of Russian Costume Rembrandt
Study of Russian Costume
Studies of Grieving Marys Rembrandt
Studies of Grieving Marys
Paul and Barnabas at Lystra Rembrandt
Paul and Barnabas at Lystra
Portrait of Cornelis Claesz Anslo Rembrandt
Portrait of Cornelis Claesz Anslo
Bust of the Emperor Galba Rembrandt
Bust of the Emperor Galba
Windmill on the Bastion Blauwhoofd in Amsterdam Rembrandt
Windmill on the Bastion Blauwhoofd in Amsterdam
Studies of an Officer, an Oriental and a Man in High Cap Rembrandt
Studies of an Officer, an Oriental and a Man in High Cap
Two Women Walking Rembrandt
Two Women Walking
Cottage Near the Edge of a Wood Rembrandt
Cottage Near the Edge of a Wood
Satire on Art Criticism Rembrandt
Satire on Art Criticism
Jacob's Dream Rembrandt
Jacob's Dream
Sheet of Studies, with a Woman Teaching a Child to Walk Rembrandt
Sheet of Studies, with a Woman Teaching a Child to Walk
The Star of the Kings Rembrandt
The Star of the Kings
Jan Six Rembrandt
Jan Six
Study for a Susanna Rembrandt
Study for a Susanna
Blind Old Man Guided by a Woman Rembrandt
Blind Old Man Guided by a Woman
Study for the Group of the Sick Rembrandt
Study for the Group of the Sick
The Amsteldijk at Meerhuizen, Looking Towards The Little Windmill Rembrandt
The Amsteldijk at Meerhuizen, Looking Towards The Little Windmill
Cottage on the Diemerdijk, Looking East Rembrandt
Cottage on the Diemerdijk, Looking East
View of Haarlem with the Saxenburg Estate in the Foreground Rembrandt
View of Haarlem with the Saxenburg Estate in the Foreground
Landscape with a Farmhouse and a Hay Barn Rembrandt
Landscape with a Farmhouse and a Hay Barn
Farmstead with Adjoining House Rembrandt
Farmstead with Adjoining House
Farmhouse beneath Trees, with a Footbridge Rembrandt
Farmhouse beneath Trees, with a Footbridge
Minerva in her Study Rembrandt
Minerva in her Study
The Ruins of the Old City Hall in Amsterdam (After the Fire) Rembrandt
The Ruins of the Old City Hall in Amsterdam (After the Fire)
View at the Inn Huis te Vraag Rembrandt
View at the Inn Huis te Vraag
Bust of Andrea Doria Rembrandt
Bust of Andrea Doria
The Anatomy Lecture of Dr Jan Deyman Rembrandt
The Anatomy Lecture of Dr Jan Deyman
Christ Comforted by the Angel Rembrandt
Christ Comforted by the Angel
The Agony in the Garden Rembrandt
The Agony in the Garden
Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery Rembrandt
Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery
The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis Drawing Rembrandt
The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis (Drawing)
A Coach Rembrandt
A Coach

In depicting Rembrandt's develop drawing style, pundits and students of history have regularly turned to "shorthand," which recommends penmanship or calligraphy, specifically, the arrangement of truncated written work that empowers stenographers to take correspondence "progressively." This passes on reasonably precisely the pith of Rembrandt's way to deal with drawing—despite the fact that he was, apparently, He did not record sounds but visual impressions. Because of Rembrandt's routine with regards to having his understudies duplicate his work, and numerous elaborate advancements and style tests done by the craftsman, and poor rebuilding efforts of his actions, the attribution of Rembrandt's works is extremely troublesome. Various artistry history specialists differ concerning regardless of whether a considerable lot of his works are good Rembrants. There is so much guess that there may never be an accord.

There is additionally suppose by craftsmanship students of history that Rembrandt may have had a stereo visual deficiency, making just a single of his eyes work. This would have advance profited his work of art style by leveling out his observation to paint it on to the canvas. Specialists assess the dates of Rembrandt's illustrations by concentrating on his form the way he utilized his most loved media: red and dark chalk, reed pen, ink, and plume or washes and brush. Rembrandt dependably delighted in a substantially higher notoriety than his two extraordinary peers, and notwithstanding when he was not regarded in many circles, his works were, for the most part, perceived and talked about. Frans Hals and Vermeer were essentially overlooked amid the eighteenth and part of the nineteenth hundreds of years; this clarifies the vanishing of their illustrations. Nonetheless, we additionally realize that the benefits of a slight draw, even by an ace of Rembrandt's stature, can get away from the new ere.

The valuable illustrations claimed by an authority are not the prized belonging of his beneficiaries. Rembrandt's routine with regards to drawing on anything within reach portrays by him have been found on bills, printed pages, and on the backs of burial service declarations does not upgrade the significance of his illustrations to the easygoing passerby. What amount has been lost because of carelessness, obliviousness, fife, wreck, or as a result of what insurance agencies arrange as "acts of God"? We can just figure. Fifty for every penny is a moderate gauge. By any consider his yield an artist was massive. He probably made illustrations as promptly as he relaxed. The more significant part of Rembrandt's illustrations was made to fulfill a voracious inclination to record what he saw with his internal, and additionally his external ere. Ace sketcher from Picasso to Durer have had a similar impulse, however, none of them has reacted to it as much of the time and reliably as Rembrandt did.

One piece of information to Rembrandt's style is his unprecedented portrayal of light. Because of the dynamic play of shadows and also light on his figures, they possess a persuading sense regarding space. In "Seated Female Nude" Rembrandt shifts the bearing and thickness of the wash to render the emotional and complex play of sunlight and shadow over a situated naked. Another critical element of a Rembrandt drawing is a predictable depiction of nuanced articulations and motions—even in the sketchiest of his illustrations. The lion's share of his illustrations can be contrasted with the notes, thoughts, and apothegms scribbled around an excellent author. Now and then they are worked assert and cleaned. They may move or discover a place in more driven works. It isn't fundamental, be that as it may, to see their connection to more significant ventures to make the most of their quality or handle their significance.

In fact, their immediacy and freshness have an immediate interest here and there missing from all the more extravagantly executed ones. Rembrandt delineates an Old Testament story in his painting "Daniel in the Lions' Den." He significantly depicts a frightened Daniel appealing to God for his life after being tossed into the lions' cave. Rembrandt's firsthand investigation of lions enabled him to delineate the distinctive demeanors of the wild brutes. One of the lions debilitates Daniel with a gigantic, open mouth, while another warmly rubs his head against Daniel like an easygoing house feline. The differentiating activities of the lions stress the eccentrics of these wild creatures, uplifting the enthusiastic charge of the picture.